The Community of Madrid has formally dissolved the long-standing Consejo de la Juventud de la Comunidad de Madrid (CJCM) and replaced it with the newly established Mesa de Políticas de Juventud. Published in the Boletín Oficial de la Comunidad de Madrid, the change reshapes how youth policies are coordinated and who gets a seat at the table. The new body is designed as an advisory and participatory forum intended to reflect the diversity of Madrid's youth and simplify projects and initiatives affecting young people across the region. The regional government's official record lists the Consejería de Familia, Juventud y Asuntos Sociales among the responsible authorities in BOCM issue 249, dated 19 October 2026.
Unlike its predecessor, the Mesa de Políticas de Juventud has no legal personality and is attached directly to the Consejería de Familia, Juventud y Asuntos Sociales, headed by Ana Dávila. The regional government's October 2026 event agenda also identifies Dávila as the department's councillor. The Mesa's stated goal is to promote policies that support young people's personal, social, educational, and professional development and ease their transition into adulthood. It is also tasked with representing youth interests in dealings with the regional administration and fostering collaboration between public administrations and youth organizations.
The new body's structure differs notably from its predecessor's. The Director General de Juventud will serve as president, with a subdirector general as vice president. The plenary will include one director-level representative from each regional ministry; five representatives from youth entities and associations, selected through a public call every four years; three municipal representatives proposed by the Federación de Municipios de Madrid (FMM) based on population size; and one representative for older people, nominated by the Consejo Regional de Mayores. The Mesa will meet at least twice a year and may also work through working groups. Its creation is not expected to increase public spending or administrative personnel costs. Neither members nor invited experts will receive compensation or per diems.
The Madrid Assembly approved the decision to eliminate the CJCM with support from the Partido Popular and opposition from other parties. Lawmakers who backed the move cited the need to rationalize spending and improve administrative efficiency, arguing that the previous council had become a tool for a select few to pursue personal or ideological agendas. Critics, including former CJCM members, have accused the government of silencing dissenting voices and questioned the democratic legitimacy of the new process for selecting representatives.
Earlier this year, Laura Castillo, Director General de Juventud, outlined the government's intention to create a body more closely aligned with the issues facing young people and free from partisanship. She said the new forum would allow broader participation in all projects, moving away from what she described as the former council's exclusivity. This approach echoes wider debates about representation and transparency in regional governance, including recent political developments in Madrid such as internal disputes within PSOE over primary races, covered in detail in recent reports on party tensions in the region.
The CJCM was previously dissolved in 2010 under Esperanza Aguirre's leadership and reinstated in 2017 by Cristina Cifuentes, both from the Partido Popular. The current reform is part of a broader legislative package aimed at improving local and regional management. Across Spain, youth councils and advisory bodies have played varying roles in shaping policy, while their structures and influence often reflect the political climate. The new Mesa de Políticas de Juventud will be judged on whether it can deliver greater inclusivity and effective coordination without repeating the pitfalls that led to its predecessor's demise.
